The Captain's Mistake
by Mill3rs
Summary: J/C The crew has made it back to Earth, and the Captain is exhausted. She makes a few mistakes that she may regret, or will she? *Chp 9 added*
1. Home

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
1 Chapter 1  
  
Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Starship Voyager, had not been able to sleep since Admiral Janeway had first appeared on her viewscreen. The Admiral, her future self, had come back in time to bring Voyager home earlier than she herself had gotten her ship home. There were many hardships in their future she wanted to help the present crew to avoid. Also, the ship was now at the perfect place for her to help them make it home – the Borg Transwarp Hub. She had brought technology from the future to help them – shields and weapons that the Borg could not penetrate or adapt to, yet.  
  
There was so much work to do to try to get the ship ready to go home, and the Captain had to oversee it all. After all, she wanted to make sure the Admiral wasn't taking control of her ship. She appreciated the Admiral's obsessive persistence to get the crew home, and shared it to a degree. Her desire was also to get the crew home as fast as possible, and had promised to do just that seven long years ago. She wanted all of her crew to make it home, but there were a few that didn't make it. Joe Carey, Peter Durst, Frank Darwin, Dr. Fitzgerald, Anne Jetal, Michael Jonas, Marie Kaplan, Lon Suder, Kes, Nelix, and the others that had died on the mission. She had to admit to herself, she even wished Seska had not been killed.  
  
With all of the modifications that had to be done to the ship, there was no time for sleep. The Captain had to check each simulation of the new equipment before it was installed. The readings and calculations were checked and re-checked frequently. Everything had to work just right because she wanted to be positive that absolutely nothing could or would go wrong. She had made up her mind: if they couldn't get back to the Alpha quadrant as well as destroy the Borg transwarp conduits, they would not go at all.  
  
==/\==  
  
When Voyager exploded into the Alpha Quadrant, quite literally, from the belly of a Borg ship, Starfleet was surprised. The crew had not been expected home so soon, though Starfleet's Pathfinder project had been working for some time on searching for a faster trek home for the Voyager crew.  
  
They were finally home! The Admiral had given her life to save the crew, and they made it home. Kathryn was too excited to sleep now; their plan had worked! There was just so much to be done now! Their presence, and how they had come back to the Alpha quadrant, had to be explained to Starfleet Command. Each member of the crew had wanted to contact his or her family as soon as possible.  
  
One of the first things that happened after they made their dramatic entrance was a call from the Captain's mentor and Tom Paris's father, Admiral Paris. When his face, obviously filled with surprise and relief, filled the viewscreen on the bridge, Captain Janeway spoke with a lopsided smile, "Sorry to surprise you. Next time, we'll call ahead."  
  
His relieved voice filled the bridge. "Welcome back."  
  
"It's nice to be here." She answered, honestly.  
  
He then asked, "How did you...?"  
  
"It will all be in my report, Sir." She said with a big grin on her face.  
  
He could see the fatigue on the faces of all of the crewmembers on the bridge from his end of the viewscreen. "I look forward to it." He answered, just before the screen went dark.  
  
In one of her later conversations with the Admiral, from her ready room, she confided, "I need to inform you that some of our ship's modifications have to remain confidential until the Starfleet engineers have had a chance to see them. It would be a good idea if we were 'off limits' to other ships. We had some technology from the future that aided our return." With this, she held up her hand to stop his obvious question. "That, too, will be in my report. I feel it would be best if there were orders against scanning our ship." She had told him during one of their many conversations between that point and Earth.  
  
Admiral Paris also brought up the need for the crew themselves to be quarantined while Starfleet medical had a chance to check them all out. They were afraid that the crew might have picked up exotic diseases or viruses in the Delta quadrant. Kathryn had agreed with the Admiral, and they set up a protocol for the crew to follow.  
  
==/\==  
  
The whole crew was given temporary quarters near the Starfleet medical facility while they were being tested by the top doctors in Starfleet. None of the crew was immune from the testing, even Miral Paris, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres' newborn daughter, was thoroughly tested. The crew was unable to see their family members at that time, but enjoyed the luxury of being free to call them whenever they wanted to without a time restriction.  
  
Besides the medical examinations and the dissection of the ship, there was also the fate of the Maquis, the Equinox crew, Tom Paris and the Captain, herself, on the line. But all that had to wait until Starfleet Medical had their final say.  
  
Kathryn paced the hallway; still too wound up to sleep properly since her career was on the line, yet too sleepy to concentrate on the reports she had yet to write. She had not slept properly in about 2 weeks, and it was taking its toll on her. As she walked, she realized that she missed the constant vibration of the warp core thrumming throughout the ship, and found this building too quiet to sleep. When she found that she was getting too tired to walk, she stopped in the lounge down the hall from her room to get a mug of warm milk and curled up on one of the couches to drink it.  
  
Kathryn woke up bleary eyed an hour or so later and found she had fallen asleep on the couch. She rubbed her eyes, recycled the mug, and sleepwalked back to the quarters that she was assigned. After fumbling to open the door, she stumbled in the dark towards the bedroom. She was too tired to hang up her robe, so she let it slide to the floor as she walked to the bed and climbed under the covers.  
  
She woke up in the morning startled to find Chakotay in bed with her, bare- chested, lying on his side, with his head propped up on his hand, and looking at her with an amused, dimpled grin on his face.  
  
There's more to come… Please review! Thanks. 


	2. Oops

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
1 Chapter 2  
  
Kathryn woke up in the morning startled to find Chakotay in bed with her, bare-chested, lying on his side with his head propped up on his hand. He was looking at her with an amused, dimpled grin on his face. At first, she thought she was dreaming. Many of her dreams were like this, waking up with him by her side, looking down at her lovingly. She almost smiled up at him seductively, as she so often did in her dreams, but caught herself quickly.  
  
"Good Morning, Kathryn. Fancy meeting you here." he snickered. He had obviously just woken up recently himself, and was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. His hair was tousled, and his eyelids were still heavy with sleep.  
  
Smiling, he looked down at her, watching her think things through. He studied her face, her shoulders, and the curves of her body he longed to explore. He could feel her heartbeat through the mattress, and smelled her shampoo. The sight and smell of her was enough to drive him crazy. He was already fighting to keep himself from becoming aroused, but was afraid he was losing. He could study her for hours, and had been drinking her features in when she woke up. He had enjoyed watching her wake up, and was surprised that she had come to him.  
  
"How'd you get into my room?" She asked, pulling the covers up to her shoulders. Her mind was racing; as much as she had dreamed of being in this position, she was confused.  
  
She was still in her 'The Captain of the ship could not be in a relationship with a member of her crew' mode. They had only been on Earth for a few days, and she hadn't yet adjusted to not being in command. Kathryn thought Chakotay had taken the opportunity of returning home, to resume the relationship that they had started on New Earth. She did not remember Chakotay coming into her room in the middle of the night, nor going to his room. Since she had not yet had her coffee, and she had not had much sleep, she was morning-mind-muddled.  
  
When he saw the confused look on her face, he laughed, "You, my dear Captain, are in MY room!" He loved to tease her, and was enjoying this.  
  
His dimples and laugh stirred warm tingly feelings within her and hear heart beat even faster. His closeness filled her senses, but her 'Captain's mask' went up quickly. "What do you mean? I certainly did not come to your room last night. You are in my room!" she insisted.  
  
He just laughed and motioned for her to look around the room. When she did so, she noticed that his personal effects were in the room, and his clothes were hung in the closet as well as his carry sack on the floor. She caught herself studying his room, realizing how masculine it was just with his effects placed around the room. His smell was permeating the room as well, and she took a deep breath. When she looked back in his direction, she noticed that he was studying her as much as she was studying his room. In looking back at him, she also noticed the bulge under the sheets. She blushed.  
  
She wracked her brain trying to remember how she had gotten here. She stammered, "I d..don't know how this could have happened. I assure you, this is not how it looks." She jumped quickly up out of the bed, looked down at herself and noticed that she was wearing only a light nightgown. She looked for and found her robe on the floor, hurriedly grabbed it and put it on in one swift motion. When she looked up to apologize to Chakotay, she noticed his smile and the way he was looking at her and blushed even more, if that was possible.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry for intruding, Commander Chakotay." She said, trying to muster up all of the professionalism she could. "I must have stumbled into your room last night. I had fallen asleep on the couch in the lobby, after pacing most of the night. I had a lot of things on my mind. When I awoke and found where I was, I stumbled down the hallway into what I thought was my room, but happened to be yours. I now vaguely recall having problems getting the door opened." This was said as she was fumbling to find the belt for her robe, but she gave up. She was obviously unaware she had just put her robe on inside out.  
  
She then became aware of her mistake, an error of habit. On Voyager, her room was the first door out of the turbolift, and his was the second. Here, his door was the first and hers, the second from the lobby. As she spoke, she concentrated on the floor, embarrassed. She pulled her robe tightly around her and headed for the door.  
  
"Wait! Kathryn, please." he said while trying wrap the sheets around himself and stand up at the same time. He was having difficulty with the sheet, but soon figured it out. He walked holding the sheet up trying to stop her.  
  
Only then did she really looked at him and noticed his awkwardness. She then realized that he probably did not have anything on under the sheet, and it made her face flush hot. Trying to avoid his attempts at stopping her, she sped towards the door and out of his quarters.  
  
He caught up with her as she reached the door. "Don't leave, Kathryn, wait!" he yelled as the door opened.  
  
As she walked out into the hallway, she was shocked to see several crewmembers looking at her in the doorway; they had turned around to see who was yelling. Tom and B'Elanna, who were walking Miral, were among the crowd. She realized what a sight they made: she had just woken up, her hair was a mess, and she was clutching her inside-out bathrobe tightly around her. Chakotay, wrapped only in a sheet, was yelling to her. What was worse was that she hadn't even had her coffee yet! She sped to her door, opened it up, and rushed inside to the sanctuary of her room. "What will they think of me? How am I going to explain this?" she moaned.  
  
Chakotay, seeing the crowd in the hallway, smiled sheepishly to them, shrugged his shoulders, and walked back into his quarters.  
  
Please review… Thanks! 


	3. Gossip

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
1 Chapter 3  
  
Later on that morning, at breakfast in the building's mess hall, all conversation stopped as the Captain entered the room. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, knowing the story had quickly circulated through the entire crew. She quickly chose a muffin, some scrambled eggs, and a large mug of coffee. She chose to sit with Tuvok, knowing he would remain reserved, not speaking of what everyone else was surely gossiping about.  
  
When Chakotay walked into the mess hall, all eyes were then on him, except the Captain's. There were whispered murmurs going through the crowd. People were watching to see if he was going to sit with the Captain. Usually, they sat together, seemingly to 'talk shop'. But now the crew wasn't sure.  
  
The crew had many thoughts and questions on the subject. How long had the Captain and the Commander been spending the night with each other? It could have been since their return from the planet they had been stranded on. They could have been transporting to each other's cabins without the crew's knowledge, others added. There were many possibilities and many theories. No one knew exactly, but all had their own ideas. They began to relate the many times that they had seen the Captain and the Commander together, and how they stood a little too close to each other to be 'just friends'. There was much talk about how the Captain always placed her hand on his arm, or his shoulder, as they were talking or problem solving. This was the only topic in the mess hall all morning. Yet the feeling that was unanimous with all but the Captain was: "It's about time."  
  
Chakotay got his breakfast, and walked over to sit with B'Elanna and Tom. "I guess we're the conversation du jour." He said as he tilted his head towards the Captain across the room. He offered them a wan smile.  
  
"I guess so." Tom said, trying to hold back a smirk. "I personally was wondering what took you two so long, but I think that is the general consensus with the entire crew."  
  
B'Elanna elbowed Tom in the ribs. "Tom, stop it. They're upset enough as it is, can't you see that?" and she turned to her former Maquis Captain, and one of her closest friends. "What happened, Chakotay?"  
  
Chakotay looked at Tom with a look of doubt on his face about his last comment, then turned back to B'Elanna. He explained The Captain's recent lack of sleep to them, then said, "I can't quite understand it myself. She said she was so tired last night that she stumbled to the wrong room, crept into the bed without turning out the light, and fell fast asleep. When I woke up this morning, the Captain was in my bed with me." 'Not that I disliked it', he added mentally. The look of confusion on his face was genuine.  
  
"I can only begin to imagine how rough all of this has been on her." Said B'Elanna. "I know that she was helping us with all of the calibrations for the new shields and weapons. She was standing over us all like a mother hen!" she said, then laughed. "I know she was nervous about the mission, we all were. Then to come back here and find out that Starfleet was not only dissecting the ship, but her career as well. They have been listening to her Captain's logs as well as her personal ones, trying to find evidence against her, the Maquis and the Equinox crew. That would be enough to drive anyone crazy." She shook her head.  
  
Tom looked at his wife and nodded thoughtfully. "I never thought about it that way, I guess they are probably looking for information about me, too, to see if I served my time well. I have been nervous about that ever since coming back home became a reality. What will happen to Miral if we both end up in prison?" as he said this, he became very quiet. Tom and B'Elanna shared a glance, telling Chakotay that they had been discussing this at length, and it was still a worry to both of them.  
  
"I know," Chakotay confided in them, "I have been very concerned about what is going to happen to the Maquis myself. I have been thinking about turning myself in and telling Starfleet that my crew was not responsible, that I should take the sole brunt of their anger. Even though I do not want to go to Prison, I would gladly do it to keep my crew out of it."  
  
B'Elanna's mouth opened to protest, but Tom spoke first "Commander, to us, there is no more Maquis crew… We're all Voyagers' crew. For the last seven years, we all worked, fought and played side by side. We are one crew, stronger for being united."  
  
B'Elanna and Chakotay looked at Tom and agreed with him. "Now, if we can just convince Starfleet Command of that, we'll all be either imprisoned, or given medals… I'm not sure which." Chakotay laughed.  
  
Captain Janeway looked at her old friend and confidante, Lt. Commander Chakotay. "So, Tuvok, have you had a chance to contact your family? I assume someone is coming here to help you with your treatment?" She looked worried for her friend. She had just recently found out that he had been diagnosed with a Vulcan mental problem that would leave him insane if he did not get help, and his only cure was a meld with a family member.  
  
Tuvok looked up at the Captain. "Yes, I contacted T'Pel last evening, she and our children are scheduled to arrive here in approximately one week. Starfleet Medical is giving her special permission to visit, breaking the quarantine, since it is part of my treatment. They have also concluded that my only treatment is the meld; there have been no further medical advances in the years since we were in the delta quadrant." He looked at his friend with sorrow in his eyes. "I sincerely hope, Captain, that you did not take my illness into account when you were planning our return through the Borg Transwarp Hub. I would have preferred staying in the Delta Quadrant than to take the risk we did. Though, I must admit, we did make it home and destroyed the Hub in the meantime. The mission had a high percentage of risk involved, and the odds were highly against us."  
  
Kathryn took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "I had forgotten just how good freshly brewed coffee really was." She smiled," Of course, Tuvok, I had that in mind, but my main goal was to get home. To get all of us home. The Admiral would not have it any other way. She risked her life, or should I say gave her life, to get us home. I just couldn't take that sacrifice lightly, no matter what the odds. I had faith in your calculations, Tuvok, and those of the rest of the crew. I had to." And she offered him a smile. "I wanted to get home as much as anyone else in the crew."  
  
Tuvok cocked his eyebrow at her. "What are your plans now, Captain?"  
  
She smiled; "You mean besides trying not to get court-marshaled?" and she shook her head. "I really don't know. I've wanted to visit my family in Indiana; I miss my mother. I have also been planning to take some time off, I'm sure that I've earned enough leave for a long vacation! Seven years on active duty should give me quite a lot of leave saved up!" she took another sip of coffee.  
  
"You certainly earned it, Captain." He said. "Seven years alone is a long time."  
  
She wondered what he meant by that last statement, but decided not to say any more, for fear of turning the conversation to her earlier mistake.  
  
When Kathryn finished her breakfast, she excused herself from Tuvok saying she wanted to call her mother. She stood up, and began to walk out of the cafeteria. She tried to look at her crew to smile to them, but couldn't because she was afraid to see mocking smiles in their faces. Had she actually looked at them, they all had encouraging smiles on their faces, all trying to show her their support.  
  
Chakotay saw Kathryn leaving Tuvok's table, and quickly finished his meal. He wanted to talk to her. "Sorry to eat and run, but I need to catch up with the Captain and settle things." He said. Once finished, he stood up, carried his tray over to the recycler and headed off towards her quarters. For good measure, he stopped and picked up a fresh pot of coffee, and a mug.  
  
He paused outside of Kathryn's room, heard her shuffling around inside it and used his override code to go in. He tried to walk in quietly, but she was standing close to the door when it opened.  
  
"Kathryn, we need to talk." He said.  
  
  
  
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	4. Invitation

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
1 Chapter 4  
  
"Kathryn, we need to talk." He said.  
  
"Don't you think we were talked about enough this morning?" she shot back at him.  
  
He gave her a little smile. "Do you know what they were saying? I sat with them, and I don't think you have the right idea."  
  
"I can imagine what they were saying, and that is bad enough." She said, angrily. "This situation is most unbecoming of a Captain!"  
  
Chakotay grabbed her by the shoulders and looked straight into her blue- gray eyes. He almost got trapped in them, but managed to get out. "Kathryn, the crew is happy for us. They were all smiling for us, not at us. They were happy to find out that we were finally together," he said as he held her in place. "They have been comparing occasions that they have seen us together and had all thought long ago that we were having a secret relationship. It seems, we were the only people on the ship that didn't know!" he added with his dimpled smile.  
  
She started, "Chakotay, you know as well as I that we can't…"  
  
"Can't what, Kathryn? We are home now, back in the Alpha quadrant. We are not on the ship anymore, and you are no longer in charge. Who knows what is going to happen to us now? We will all probably be split up. I, for one, don't want to see that happen. Especially us, Kathryn, I want us to stay together. We're home now, we're free to have a relationship if we want."  
  
She looked up at him, cautious but almost hopeful, then turned away from him. "But what about Seven?" she asked, accusingly.  
  
"What about her?" he replied acidly. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her back toward him, turning her face with one hand, holding her shoulder with the other. "According to her, I was helping her improve her 'social interaction'. She really didn't want me, she wanted someone to 'practice' on." He let go of her, walked over to the couch and sat down. "She told me, after we entered the Alpha quadrant, that she now had another relationship to pursue, that of being a niece. She is excited about meeting her Aunt. She wants to dedicate her time getting to know her aunt and adapting to the Alpha quadrant, and to Earth. She is worried how the people of Earth are going to react to her," he added. "Also, she told me that she could not continue our relationship because it was evident to her that I was not free to pursue one. She said 'We can not continue this relationship further, it is obvious to me that I am not the woman you desire. I refuse to be the 'Next best thing'." He laughed. "I wonder what she meant?" he added with sparkling eyes.  
  
Kathryn looked at him, studied his face. "The crew is happy for us? They thought we had a relationship already? I don't believe it. I think you are just saying this…" she said as her voice trailed off. She left her quarters and headed for the lounge.  
  
In the hallway, a few of the junior and senior officers were gathered together, talking. They looked up at her with broad smiles. Chakotay followed her into the hallway, and when they noticed that he came out of the same door as she did, their grins grew even wider.  
  
Not noticing their growing grins; she walked up to them with Chakotay close behind her. The group opened up to admit them. "So, how are you all adjusting to being home?" she asked them.  
  
"We're doing well, Captain." "It's nice to be home, but I want to see my family." "When are they letting us out of here?" "We're great, but not as well as you!" were the replies. She thought the last comment was Tom, but wasn't sure. Tom and Harry were looking at each other, smiling. The others chuckled, and tried to keep a straight face at the same time.  
  
Kathryn turned red and hid her face, feigning wiping a spot off of her uniform. She left the group, pretending to get something with which to wipe her uniform, grabbed a cup of coffee from the lounge, and walked back into her room.  
  
Chakotay watched her leave and grinned at the group. "We'll let you all know what we find out about leaving here as soon as we know anything. Believe me, we want to get out of here as much as you do. What have you heard about our relationship?" he asked them.  
  
More willing to share information with Chakotay than with the Captain, the officers opened up. "Well, Sir, we heard that the Captain was seen leaving your room early this morning, and you were calling her back. Neither of you was properly dressed. It appeared that the two of you were having a disagreement." The others who were in the group agreed on this.  
  
Chakotay laughed. "Just to straighten you out, the Captain walked into the wrong room, and I was trying to stop her from leaving, I wanted to talk to her. She was embarrassed about the whole thing."  
  
Someone cut to the quick… "So, Chakotay, is it true that you and the Captain are having a relationship?"  
  
Chakotay shook his head in amusement. "Alright, I'm going to tell you all right now. There is nothing going on with the Captain and I." He said. "We have a professional relationship, as well as a good friendship. I have to admit, I'd like it to be more." he confessed. "But I'm respectful of her feelings. She is not ready. That, I'd like to keep between just us though." He smiled, "At least until she and I can talk about it again."  
  
The group nodded, and Tom nudged Chakotay's arm. "Good luck, Chakotay, you two are meant to be together. I should know, people thought the same way about B'Elanna and me.  
  
You can't escape the inevitable." He smiled. The other crewmembers also smiled, and patted him on the back as he left.  
  
After Chakotay walked into the Captain's quarters, they started to make bets with Tom Paris running the whole thing. The bet was, of course, when the Captain and the Commander would actually get together… this bet had been on many times on Voyager, but it looked like it would be soon now.  
  
Chakotay again headed back to the Captain's quarters. This time, he didn't have to use his override codes to get in. She opened the door.  
  
"Well, what did they say. Did they laugh at me the minute I left?" she asked bitterly.  
  
"As a matter of fact, Kathryn, They all wished us luck. They said we are meant to be together, and that we can't escape the inevitable." He said with a big smile. "It seems the crew only wants the best for us, and they think we are best together. You know that I agree with them, and have had the same thoughts ever since we first met."  
  
Just then, there was a chirping from her communications system. Admiral Paris was on the viewscreen. Chakotay stayed out of view and sat on the couch; determined not to leave until they had finished their talk.  
  
"Kathryn, I hope you and your crew are comfortable there." The Admiral said. "Starfleet Medical says that they only have a few more tests to run, and you all will be free to visit your families, as long as you stay on Earth. I am pleased to inform you that Starfleet Command has approved leave for you all to see your families as soon as Medical is done with you. Of course, your positions will all be monitored, just in case your … medical conditions change." Kathryn noted the hesitation in his careful phrasing.  
  
"In other words, Admiral, you want to make sure none of us run away" she stated boldly. Her steel blue eyes were focused on his image.  
  
"I wouldn't have said it so frankly, Kathryn, but yes. We want to keep close tabs on the Maquis and the Equinox crew. We aren't so heartless as to deny them seeing their families; they have already been separated for seven years. They can remain with their families until Starfleet calls them back. The evidence is being collected, and there is a lot of information to be sifted through… seven years worth. Tell your crew about the leave, after Medical is finished with them, but don't mention that we are going to be keeping an eye on them. They will probably figure that out anyway."  
  
Kathryn smiled, "Yes, Admiral, I do have a smart crew, and they will be asking me about that. I won't lie to them, but I won't offer information unless it's asked for." She said. "I have not lied to my crew in seven years, and I don't intend to start now."  
  
Admiral Paris shook his head, "That is what I have always admired about you, Kathryn, the dedication of you towards your crew, and vice versa. I just wanted to keep you informed. I have an appointment that I am late for, but I'll be contacting you again soon. Paris out." His face faded out until it was replaced with the Starfleet insignia.  
  
"Well, we knew that was coming." Chakotay said, startling Kathryn. She had forgotten he was still in the room, and was staring at the insignia trying to figure out how to tell the crew without lying to them.  
  
"Oh, my, you scared me Chakotay!" she laughed. "I thought you left." She grabbed another mug of coffee, and sat near him on the couch. "So, where will you go for your leave? Now that we are home, you're free to go anywhere on Earth." she asked him.  
  
He looked down, "Yes, free for the time being. Free to go anywhere on Earth… I can't even go see my planet, my dead planet. Just another reminder to me why we were running in the first place." And he looked up at her with a sad look in his eyes. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound bitter, but I have no place to go. The Maquis were my family, and now they are all gone; dead or in hiding, but not to be found."  
  
She placed her hand on his arm, and looked at him with sadness. "You could visit Indiana with me, Chakotay. I've offered it to you before, and you seemed to like the idea then. My mother and sister would love to meet you." She said excitedly.  
  
He grinned, dimples in full force, eyes sparkling mischievously, "Kathryn, are you inviting me to meet your family?"  
  
More to come… Please review? ( 


	5. Caught

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me. I hope you enjoy it!  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
1 Chapter 5  
  
Chakotay grinned, dimples in full force, eyes sparkling mischievously, "Kathryn, are you inviting me to meet your family?"  
  
Kathryn blushed again; "I didn't mean that the way you are taking it, Chakotay" gave a small grin as she spoke, letting him know that she was joking too. She really would love for him to meet her mother and her sister, Phoebe. She actually liked the idea of her family meeting the man she had been so close to for seven years, to approve of him in some way. She knew that she did want to have a relationship with him, eventually, considering he was the other half of her soul. She was not going to admit this to him too soon though, because she wasn't ready. She was still the Captain until Starfleet made the decisions that had to be made, and things settled down…  
  
Chakotay grinned, "I'd love to come to meet your family, Kathryn. I've never been to Indiana." And I'd love to see where you grew up, and what makes you… you! He added in his thoughts.  
  
She turned away from him, because she was blushing. She took a sip of her coffee to cover up the burning of her face. "It's beautiful there and very serene. It was a nice place to grow up." She changed the subject and started to go over the padds of information that she had been gathering about the Maquis, the Equinox crew and herself. The two officers worked together beautifully, and went over all of the reports, making changes, and adding information.  
  
Chakotay almost couldn't stand being so close to her, yet restricted by her 'protocols'. He knew she loved him too, and was hoping to use this time to show her that her own feelings matched his. He could smell her perfume and her shampoo and it was driving him crazy. He took deep breaths to inhale her essence. One time, as they were bending over looking at a padd between them, he looked over at her noticed that her face was mere centimeters from his. His lips could feel the warmth radiating from her. He studied her face, drinking in every nuance, and was not paying attention to what she was saying. She turned to see why he had not responded to her question, and realized how close they were. They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like hours! He was so tempted to lean forward and just kiss her when she turned away, clearing her throat.  
  
Later, Chakotay pointed out some good defensive evidence about a Maquis crewmember. When Kathryn turned to look at him, and found him staring back at her a hairsbreadth from her lips, her heart began to race. She felt his hesitation about wanting to kiss her, and wished he would just do it. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. When this thought crossed her mind, she blushed and turned her head quickly. As she turned her head away, a lock of her hair got caught up in his pips. "Oww!" she exclaimed.  
  
Chakotay chuckled, more for relief of the situation than the humor that it provided. "Hold still, Kathryn. Let me try to get your hair out. I don't want to hurt you." He took the hair and tried to gently remove it from his rank pins, but it wouldn't budge. He tried to remove the pips, but they only pulled her hair further. Her hair was wrapped tightly around them. "What a mess this is! I can't remove them, without pulling your hair further, and I don't want to hurt you." He said, looking at her, but only seeing the back of her head due to the position she had to be in to keep her hair from being pulled. "What should we do? Should we call the Doctor?" he said with amusement in his voice. "That would surely cause gossip within the crew."  
  
"Oh, Chakotay, this isn't funny. Can't you get them off your uniform?" she asked. She tried to reach over her head to get her hair out of the pins, but couldn't see to get it out easily. When her arms got tired, she said, "I just can't believe this. I think I'm tangling it more. I'm glad my hair wasn't longer! This is surely an embarrassing situation. I don't want to have to call for help, and I really don't want to cut my hair – I have no scissors near here anyway. Is there someone we can trust call to help us that wouldn't tell the crew?" she thought aloud. "Maybe we could call Tuvok or B'Elanna?" she suggested.  
  
Chakotay began to laugh. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not call anyone in. Tuvok has been known to start a few rumors himself, and B'Elanna will just laugh at us." He mused. "Could we replicate some scissors?" He asked. He then laughed. "Of course, I could just remove my uniform." He added playfully.  
  
Kathryn rolled her eyes, "I don't think we need to go to that extreme, Chakotay. I suppose we could try the scissors, but then my hair would be uneven, and I'd have no way to explain that." She said. "Isn't there another way?" She rested her head on his shoulder, tired from keeping it in one position.  
  
"It seems our two choices are cutting it, or either B'Elanna and Tuvok. They are the only two people I can think of that I would trust." Chakotay said. He felt a pleasant warmth fill him when she put her head on his shoulder.  
  
Just then, the chime of her clock in her room alerted both of them that it was noon. "Lunchtime, she said. The whole crew will be heading for the Mess Hall. We need to make a decision quickly. They'll wonder why we're coming in late, together, to lunch otherwise. We also need to tell the crew what Admiral Paris said." She said.  
  
"Janeway to B'Elanna" she said, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Yes, Captain" was her reply.  
  
"Could you please come to my quarters?" Kathryn asked, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Of course, Captain. I'll be right there." she said.  
  
"Ok, well, that was my command decision. You have to explain this to her!" Janeway said to Chakotay.  
  
"Awww, I was hoping to remove my uniform." He teased. "Then, of course, we could get the hair out and not have to tell anyone, but I'd have to explain why I was hot and bothered."  
  
The door chimed, and Kathryn yelled "Enter! Come in quickly and close the door."  
  
When B'Elanna saw the two commanding officers on the couch, with the Captain's head on the Commander's shoulders, she smiled at them. "What can I help you two with?" she smirked. "Need some love advice from an old married lady?"  
  
The Captain tried to turn her head to see the engineer, but couldn't without pulling her hair. She ignored the last comment. "As you can see, Lieutenant, we have a bit of a problem. While we were going over these reports, I misjudged where the Commander was sitting. When I flipped my hair, it got caught in the Commander's pips. We tried to remove it ourselves, but it is an awkward position for both of us and we just managed to tangle my hair further. Could you help us, and NOT mention it to anyone? That is an order, not a word to anyone, including your husband. He is one of the worst gossips on board!"  
  
B'Elanna smiled. "Your hair is caught? Why, Captain, how did this happen!" she smirked. "I wish I could take a holo of it first!" she added, laughing. She had to move the coffee table out of the way to get to them, and knelt in front of the command team. She started working on extricating the hair from the rank pins. "Of course I'll help, and I'll try to keep it quiet, but this is quite funny. I know Tom likes to talk but, Captain, we are not aboard Voyager anymore. News doesn't travel as fast now. The crew are more interested in contacting their families than spreading gossip." She said.  
  
She looked at Chakotay; "I call this working a little to close together. Then again, Tom and I usually remove our uniforms before we 'get close'. " She said, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice. She then looked the Captain in the eye, "Everyone on the ship knows the two of you have feelings for each other. Why do you hide it from us? Or are you hiding them from yourself as well?" she asked with a concerned look on her face. "Do you feel that we'll think less of you for being human? Don't. We all want to see you happy. Tom and I told Chakotay that at breakfast this morning."  
  
She extricated the hair, with out many casualties, and removed the pips for the Commander to inspect. There were a few red strands of hair still attached to the pips. "Thank you, Lieutenant. You're dismissed to go to lunch." Chakotay said as B'Elanna finished. He said this before the Captain could air her thoughts. He was afraid she would say something to B'Elanna that would make them both mad.  
  
Chakotay thanked her, swore her to secrecy and sent her on to the mess hall. He then removed the few pieces of hair from his pips and put them back on his collar. He handed Kathryn the hair. "Here you go, this is all you lost, thanks to B'Elanna. We should go now, we don't want to be too late." He then looked at her, "B'Elanna was right, we are no longer aboard Voyager, and those protocols no longer apply." He said, hoping to soften her hold on her feelings.  
  
She looked up into his dark eyes, "Thank you, Chakotay, for swearing her to secrecy. I can't imagine what the crew would think if that story came out." She said, turning red. "I wouldn't want them to think we were doing anything improper." She looked at him again, "I know we are not on board Voyager anymore, but I need time to realize that. It still feels like it, and seven years of bottling up my feelings is going to take time to sort out. I will come around, I have been thinking a lot already, but I'm not quite ready yet." She told him truthfully. "Let's go to lunch." She said, standing up and motioning to the door.  
  
They stood up, walked to the door and into the hallway. Several of the same Jr. Officers were still talking in the hallway, and looked over at the pair. Looks were directed to Commander Chakotay, asking in unspoken words what their long conversation was about.  
  
He shook his head almost imperceptibly, but enough for the officers to know to keep quiet, for now. They had all agreed that the Captain and the Commander made a good couple, but she had obviously had not figured that out yet.  
  
When the command team walked into the Mess Hall together, the crew turned to see them. The Captain had put on her "Captain's Mask" and was all business, and the Commander looked amused.  
  
The Captain addressed her crew. "I have recently spoken to Admiral Paris. He informed me that our stay here shouldn't last much longer." At this, the crew burst out in applause. She raised her hands and waited until the noise died down before she continued. "He said that we only have a few more tests, and Starfleet Medical will clear us all to visit our families here on Earth. At this point in time, they want to keep an eye on us for further medical complications, so anyone who has family that are not planetside needs to contact them and have them make arrangements to come to Earth for your reunion. We will have a few weeks to catch up before Starfleet will begin to call us back for debriefing. We will all be debriefed except, of course, Miral Paris since she is unable to talk." She said, and again waited until the laughter died down. "You may contact your families now, and inform those who need it that they can stay in the VIP housing until we are released. Are their any questions?" she looked around. When no hands were raised, she said, "Alright, you may begin contacting your families after lunch. We have no definitive dates yet, but it will be soon."  
  
After her address to the crew, she walked over to the food line, picked out an appetizing lunch salad and fresh coffee, then sat down at the table with the Senior officers. Commander Chakotay wasn't far behind her, and sat across the table from her.  
  
The command team did not have the overwhelming feeling of being watched this meal, though every time there was laughter from a group of the crew, Janeway blushed slightly, wondering if they knew of the prior incident. She kept brushing her hair with her fingers, trying to erase any evidence of what happened.  
  
More to come… Please review? : ) 


	6. Interrupted

  
Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me. Enjoy it!   
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.   
  
Chapter 6   
After lunch, each of the crew went their own ways to call their families, and the senior officers were no different.   
  
Captain Janeway called her mother. Hi Mom! She said with a big smile as her mother's face came into view.   
  
Kathryn, it is so good to see you! she said. Her face was older than it was seven years before, but it hadn't lost any of its cheer.   
  
I am happy to see you too, Mom. I'm calling to let you know that I will be coming to visit for a few weeks. We are getting some leave now that Starfleet Medical is almost done with us. Do we have room for one more to stay with us? she asked, knowing her mother had never turned down a guest.   
  
Kathryn, you know that guests are always welcome. Who is it? she asked curiously.   
  
Just a friend, Mom. It'll be great being home. I have been dreaming of this for seven years!   
  
Me too, darling, me too! was her mother's answer. She looked at her daughter's face to see if the was more than that but, as usual, Kathryn's face gave nothing away.   
  
Kathryn and her mother talked a few hours longer about family; friends and what had become of most of them in the past seven years. Those who married (Mark, her former Fiancée, came up in this subject) babies that had been born, and deaths in the family. Kathryn felt a warm sense of being grounded by this conversation. It was important to know what she missed. She kept her mother busy thinking of other names of family and friends to ask her about. And, true to her mother's reputation, she did know information on almost everyone Kathryn asked about.   
  
When she felt caught up, and started to yawn, she apologized to her mother and told her that she would call her back in the morning. She walked into her bedroom, changed into some comfortable clothes, an off-white cowl-necked sweater and some khaki slacks, and turned on some soothing music. She realized that she had missed dinner when her stomach began to growl. Suddenly, there was a chime at the door. she called out reflexively.   
  
Chakotay was standing at her door with a dinner tray in his hands. I thought you'd be hungry. Did you have a nice conversation with your mother? he asked. He walked over to the table, put down her dinner tray and sat down next to her on the couch.   
  
Thank you for thinking of me, Chakotay. I was getting a little hungry. She said, smiling at him, still not believing how good of a first officer she ended up with. Yes, I did. We had a great talk. It was very nice. What about you? Were you able to get in touch with your sister? She asked.   
  
No, she's on an archeological dig. I did speak to one of her co-workers, though. He said. He said that she won't be available to talk until mid-morning tomorrow, and that he would have her call then. He answered, looking a bit sad.   
  
Kathryn looked at him, saw the disappointment in his eyes, and put her hand on his knee. I'm sure she'll call as soon as she gets your message. She said.   
  
He looked at her and the compassion in her eyes. Thanks, Kathryn. You always know what to say. He leaned towards her and gave her a friendly hug.   
  
Well, what's for dinner Kathryn said, feeling a little uncomfortable when the hug was a little longer than she expected. She knew it was too long, because she was beginning to hope he would never let go. She stood up from the couch and padded to the table in her bare feet.   
  
When she got to the table, she noticed that there were 2 plates. I brought my dinner as well, Chakotay said as he walked over to her table and pushed her seat in for her. He walked to the replicator and brought 2 wineglasses over to the table with him, then sat down. When I finally tracked down my sister, and left her the message, I found it was rather late. I knew you would probably talk to your mother until late and confirmed with the cook that you had not eaten. So, I took a chance and brought you some dinner. He added, with a charming smile. He took a sip of his wine, and motioned for her to try it as well. I thought the hair pasta looked appealing. he said, then thought_ and I love your hair!_  
  
Thank you very much, Chakotay she said. She took a sip of the wine, and her face lit up. This is delicious, Chakotay! Where did you get this?   
  
He laughed, It's actually a family recipe, and I just found it in the database. My people love their ceremonial wine! Generations ago, my family made the wine for certain ceremonies, and we have always had that wine to drink at family occasions. It had been in my database on the Liberty, but I lost it when the ship was destroyed. It's a great comfort to be able to taste it again. He sighed. The look on his face was pure contentment.   
  
She knew that he had a great tie to his family, and missed them terribly. He had not been on the planet, when it had been destroyed by the Cardassians years ago, and she knew he still felt guilty for having been off world at the time. She sipped the wine and enjoyed its flavor. This goes really well with the pasta. She remarked.   
  
His half smile told her that he was reliving memories and only half hearing her. She smiled and continued with her meal. She sipped the wine slowly, in the silence of the room. She welcomed the memories of the family members that she and her mother had been talking about recently, and ultimately ended up thinking about Mark. She daydreamed in the completely silent room. She was wondering how life would have been different if she and Mark had been married, or if Voyager had never been lost.   
  
When Chakotay finally cleared his throat, it scared Kathryn and she jumped and spilled wine all over her sweater. Oh no, this is my favorite sweater! she said as she bounced up and got her napkin, dipped it in her water, and tried to wash it out.   
  
Chakotay grabbed his napkin and started to blot her sweater before the wine stain could set in. He started scrubbing and had his face close to the fabric to see what he was doing.   
  
As they were standing mere inches from each other, wiping her sweater clean, Kathryn's comm. screen lit up and Phoebe was on the screen.   
  
She cleared her throat, Well, Kathryn, welcome home! she said with a big grin, seeing Kathryn and a tall, dark and handsome man standing over her with his hand on her sweater in a most compromising place.   
  
Kathryn looked up, startled. Phoebe! How are you? It's nice to talk to you, again, today. Don't mind us, I just spilled a little wine on my sweater. If you'll hold on just a second, I'm going to go get this off to soak it. She said, smiling at Phoebe, and walking to her bedroom, closing her door.   
  
Phoebe watched as Chakotay kept his eyes on Kathryn until she was out of the room, So, are you the friend' that Kathy is bringing home with her? she asked mischievously. She studied the man in her screen, wondering if her sister was in love with him, but had the good manners not to ask. She didn't say that her friend' was a man. That might alter our sleeping arrangements. She said, grinning.   
  
Chakotay looked at Phoebe and smiled at her, As a matter of fact, I am her friend. He said, stressing the part. He ignored the sleeping arrangements comment. I'm Commander Chakotay, her First Officer. I have never seen Indiana, and Kathryn has been promising me a tour for at least five years now. He said, with a big grin, dimples and twinkling eyes in full force. I am just taking her up on her offer.   
  
Kathryn walked back into the living room, now dressed in a beige tank top with a tan and brown plaid unbuttoned blouse over it. Hi Phoebe. I'm sorry about that, how are you doing? she asked. She was worried about what the two were talking about during her absence, but decided to ignore it unless it came up in conversation.   
  
Oh, I'm doing well. I was just helping Mom get the house set up, and we were wondering what kind of guest you were bringing, but your friend' here was helpful enough to tell me. She said now stressing the friend' with a big grin aimed at Kathryn. I do have to get going, I have some shopping to do. What kind of food do you want while you're here? Anything special?   
  
Kathryn shook her head. Anything home-cooked! she said with a broad grin. After seven years living off replicator rations and Telaxian-cooked meals, I could sure use some home cooked meals. I've been dreaming of them the whole time I've been home.   
  
Chicken and dumplings it is then! Phoebe said with a smile. I know that was one of your favorite dishes when we were little. We used to fight over the dumplings. She added, grinning and wiggling her eyebrows. I promise to let you have more dumplings than me this time. Ok, I really have to go now, that was the main reason I called. We're getting things ready. I know you didn't give Mom a date and time, but everything will be ready when you get here! And, I won't forget the fresh coffee! she winked. Gotta go, bye Kathy   
  
Thank you Kathryn laughed. You know me all too well! Bye, Pheebes   
  
Chakotay shook his head in amusement, So, your craving for coffee goes well beyond our trip, eh? I guess that is one thing I've learned so far about you, and we are not even at your mother's house yet! he chuckled. I can't wait to learn more.   
  
*Sorry these last 2 chapters took so long, had computer problems Please review! : )  
  



	7. Tripped

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
Sorry it's taken so long, work/vacation/computer problems - you know the drill. Sorry! : )  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Early the next morning, Captain Janeway went to the cafeteria and got a tray full of pancakes, sausage and scrambled eggs. She then found a pot of fresh coffee and took it with her to a table. She liked being up before the rest of the crew, and slowly a few crewmembers made their way in as she sat quietly and ate her breakfast. She had forgotten just how good 'real' pancakes were, and sausage that she didn't have to imagine where they came from (at least they were from familiar animals). And coffee, fresh coffee. she was in heaven! As she was savoring the taste of her food, someone walked up behind her. She could tell that the person was trying to decide whether or not to talk to her, so she turned around. Kathryn found herself looking up at B'Elanna.  
  
B'Elanna's face looked tired. She must not be getting much sleep lately, with the new baby, but had managed to get away for a few minutes to have a peaceful breakfast. She saw the Captain turn around and smiled down at her.  
  
"Good Morning, Lieutenant, how are you this morning?" the Captain asked. She watched B'Elanna as she sat down next to her at the table. She took another sip of her coffee as she waited for the engineer to speak.  
  
"Good morning, Captain." B'Elanna said. "It's nice to have a quiet breakfast for a change!" She offered a small smile to her commanding officer. "I don't get much time to myself lately. I just fed Miral, and passed her off to Tom, they both went back to sleep on the bed, so I figure I've got about 2 hours to myself. I like the early mornings around here, it's so quiet."  
  
Captain Janeway smiled, "I know what you mean, that's why I'm here. I have my last medical checkup in about an hour, and then I am going to get ready to go visit my family. Do you and Tom have plans to visit family, B'Elanna?"  
  
B'Elanna smiled at Kathryn, "Yes, we finished yesterday. We're just waiting until tomorrow to go to his parents' house. We wanted a few calm days to ourselves, stress-free." She said as she smiled again, then she wrinkled her eyebrows, "I'm a little nervous about meeting his family."  
  
Kathryn smiled, "You don't need to worry about them, they don't bite. I spent a lot of time with the Admiral's family when he was my mentor - I even knew Tom as a boy." She said laughing, "And he was quite an. energetic child. I'm glad some things never change!" she added, chuckling. She looked at her chronometer and excused herself, "I've got to go, I don't want to be late to Starfleet Medical. I don't want them to make up excuses to keep me longer!" she winked.  
  
She stood up and said goodbye to B'Elanna. She had just enough time to get to the medical building and be there early, like a good officer should. She waited, reading a PADD she brought with her, and followed the nurse when her name was called.  
  
"Well, Captain, this is your last visit with us, I see." Her doctor told her. "I feel privileged to have checked you and your crew out. You know that I can not break Doctor/Patient confidentiality, but as the commanding officer of Voyager, I just wanted to let you know that we have not found any illnesses that resulted from your extended time in the Delta Quadrant."  
  
Kathryn let out a deep breath, one that she had not even realized that she had been holding. "I am very glad to hear that, Doctor. I didn't think that there was anything, but there was the possibility." She smiled a bright smile to the Doctor and asked, "Does this mean that we are all clear to leave the facility?"  
  
He smiled down at her, "Yes, Captain. You were our final Voyager crewmember of the day. You are all free to go visit your families now. We just can't think of any more reasons to poke or prod any of you!" and he laughed. "I certainly can't fault your medical care." He said, then scratched his chin. "As a matter of fact, I would love to meet your Doctor. I hear that he is fascinating, and that he made some very incredible discoveries while in the Delta Quadrant. Do you think he is planning on meeting with us?"  
  
"That is a relief, Doctor. I'm glad to hear that we can all leave now. I, for one, am anxious to see my family again! Well, about the Doctor, I am afraid that Starfleet has our Doctor and is examining his program with a fine toothcomb. We all feel that he is a sentient, unique being, but there are some that feel he is Starfleet property. I have been keeping in touch with that debate as well, trying to keep people on track. I'm sure he would love to meet all of you, his colleagues." She said with an almost motherly smile. "He certainly has come a long way from his 'Please state the nature of the medical emergency' days. He IS one of our crew, and our family." She then smiled and looked up at the doctor. "Well, if there is nothing left for you to do to me, may I go tell my crew the good news?"  
  
The Doctor smiled back at her, "Of course, Captain. Please send our warmest regards to them, as well as our well wishes for their future. We also hope not to have to see any of them again, in a professional capacity of course."  
  
"Of course I will, Doctor. Please thank your staff for their kind treatment of all of us. We appreciate their professionalism, as well as their expediency." She said, again with a large smile on her face. "I especially appreciate the expediency, I am quite anxious to see my family." Once the doctor had left her room, she changed out of the hospital gown and went back to the barracks that the Voyager crew had been assigned.  
  
It was lunchtime, and she asked all of her crew to meet in the cafeteria at noon. She told them all what the Starfleet Medical doctor had told her earlier that morning, including the admiration of their Doctor. "You are all free to visit your families now. Just remember we are a family, and I assure you we shall keep in touch. Starfleet will be calling many of us for debriefing, so we will be seeing each other then. I was assured that we would have several weeks before we are called upon." Then she looked at them all sincerely, meeting each of their eyes. "I have enjoyed working with every one of you, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I know you are all packed and ready to go, I am anxious to catch the next flight to Indiana!" she said cheerfully. She bade goodbye to her crew, and spoke to each of them individually before she left the room.  
  
Kathryn was exhausted when she got back to her assigned quarters. She flopped herself down onto her regulation bed, and fell asleep. She was so deeply asleep, that she did not hear the signaling of her door.  
  
Chakotay was standing outside of her door, and was disappointed that she didn't answer. He figured that she had fallen asleep, but had to wake her. Their transport was going to depart soon, and he had not told her that he had been able to get the 2 last seats available. He used his override codes and let himself into her room. He did not want to wake her by turning on the bright lights, so he told the computer to turn on the lights to 2% - just barely enough to see where he was going. He knew the layout of the room, since it was a carbon copy of his. He felt his way around the room, keeping his ears open for noises. Chakotay heard noises from Kathryn's bedroom and headed in that direction.  
  
When Chakotay quietly walked into her room, he stopped in the doorway to watch her. He took a few moments to memorize her face, the one he had loved for so long. He kept his eyes on her face as he rounded the end of the bed. As he got closer to her, his left foot tripped over the boots she had just barely kicked off before she climbed into bed. He was unable to catch his balance and fell onto her bed.  
  
Kathryn jumped awake. "What the hell. Computer lights to 50%" As she looked down the bed, she saw Chakotay sprawled across her hips and legs. He had a sheepish grin on his face, which obviously showed his embarrassment. "Um, Commander. what are you doing?" she managed to say, keeping her temper.  
  
"Sorry, Kathryn." He chuckled. "I didn't mean to trip. If you hadn't left your boots on the floor, I'd have made it without tripping!" He smiled his signature grin at her full-force, hoping his dimples would have the proper effect on her.  
  
It did. She laughed. "And just what were you planning on doing, Commander, that my 'early-warning boot detection system' thwarted?" she asked with an amused tone in her voice.  
  
Chakotay grinned again, even brighter (if that was possible). "Well, to be completely honest, I was watching you sleep, and wanted to get a closer look. I also needed to wake you up to tell you that I was able to book us on the flight at 1600 hours to Indiana. I got us the last 2 seats on the transport."  
  
Kathryn grinned, "Well, I guess I need to pack then." She said, then hesitated, "Um. Commander, you need to get off of my legs in order for me to get up."  
  
He then knew that he had her in the position he wanted her in, but knew she wasn't ready for it, quite yet. He smiled at her, then sat himself up at the edge of her bed. He decided that he could tease her though, "But Kathryn dear, here is the moment you've been waiting for, you've got me in your bed!" he said with amusement.  
  
She raised one eyebrow at him, rivaling Tuvok's expression. "Chakotay, if you don't get up, we'll miss the transport. You REALLY don't want me to be mad at you, do you?" She asked, with a command expression now on her face.  
  
He smiled at her again, "Nope, seen too many enemy ships destroyed when you were mad. I really don't want to be on the business end of your ire." and laughed. "We have to leave in about an hour. Can you be ready by then?"  
  
"Of course I can. Get out of here so I can get to work. I've got a lot of packing to do, then good-byes to say. I'll see you in an hour." She said, shooing him out of her room.  
  
*Please Read & review! 


	8. Dogged

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
The transport arrived in Indiana on time. Kathryn's mother, Gretchen, was waiting for them and ran towards her daughter as soon as she picked her face out of the crowd of people exiting the transport station. She grabbed her daughter and hugged her fiercely; not wanting to ever let go of her again. It had been hard on her these last 7 years, not knowing whether or not she was alive. She was immensely relieved 2 years ago when the Pathfinder project was able to contact Voyager - which allowed families to talk to their loved ones in the Delta Quadrant. She cried the first time she talked to Kathryn; she was so relieved that her younger daughter was alive and well.  
  
"Kathryn, I can't believe you are actually here!" and she hugged her again. "It is you, and I still can't believe it! Pheobe and her husband are coming tomorrow. She wanted to come today, but I told her to give you a day to get settled. Everyone is so excited to see you!" She then noticed the tall Indian man next to her daughter and smiled, "You must be Chakotay! I've heard so much about you, from Kathryn and the news reports. I'm Gretchen Janeway, Kathryn's mother. Please call me Gretchen. Welcome!" She said, then looked between the two. She said, "You two must be tired, come on, the car's over there." She grabbed Kathryn with one arm and Chakotay with the other, and led them to her car.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Gretchen. Thank you for picking us up. I've been waiting to see Indiana for quite a while now." Chakotay said, smiling. He looked between the two Janeway women and immediately noticed the family resemblance. He also thought of the older Admiral Janeway and decided that Kathryn was beautiful, at any age.  
  
"Nice to meet you too, Chakotay. So, I take it the doctors are all done with you and your crew?" She asked curiously.  
  
Kathryn smiled, "Yes, Mom. We all have a clean bill of health. No one got Delta Quadrant Fever or anything!" she laughed. She looked over at Chakotay and saw him laugh too. God, he is so handsome. Does he know what his dimples do to me every time he smiles at me? Probably not. I just hope that no one can see my insides turn to jelly every time he looks at me! She watched the road as they drove the familiar route back to the family farm. She pointed out familiar sights from her childhood to Chakotay as they drove by.  
  
She always wondered why her mother stayed at the farm after her father had died. When they drove into the driveway, it suddenly hit her. She realized that the peace and quiet of the place was what she missed about it most. She was sure it had been what she felt she was missing during her 7- year mission. She stepped out of the car, wide eyed.  
  
Chakotay had been watching her the whole ride. He noticed the stress in her face just melt away over the miles to her home. When she began to smile and point out places where she had played as a child, and had 'hung out' as a teenager, he smiled at her. This was the youthful face he had not seen in 7 long years. He stared at her, watched her face as emotions ran quickly over it. She continued playing tour guide, unaware of his attention. When they finally drove down the driveway, and pulled up into the farmyard, he was amazed. The place was beautiful. It was well taken care of, and so full of life! He followed Kathryn out of the car.  
  
Kathryn was so shocked that the place hadn't changed in all of that time that she didn't notice Molly running up from behind the house and jump on her, with her tail wagging at warp 2! She was knocked backwards, hit something and landed. Molly was busy licking her face and jumping excitedly all around her. She tried to get up, but noticed that she wasn't on the ground. When Kathryn looked below her, she realized that she was sitting on Chakotay's lap. He was laughing quite loudly, and wiggling his eyebrows at her. She blushed and tried to get up.  
  
Chakotay was surprised when the dog pushed Kathryn on top of him and they both fell down. He thought it was quite funny, though, and started laughing. "So, this is the dog whose picture was on your desk all throughout the trip? I'm surprised that she has this much energy to welcome you home!" When he saw her struggling to get up, because the dog was still jumping on her, he lifted her off his lap and sat her beside himself on the grass.  
  
Kathryn was surprised when, in trying unsuccessfully to get up, she felt Chakotay's hands lifting her up and setting her down beside him. Molly still continued her happy onslaught of welcome home kisses, obviously missing her owner very much. "I thought she'd forget about me after all of this time!" she said, with a lot of emotion in her voice.  
  
Gretchen said, "She's been waiting for you to get home, Kathryn. She sits by the window every day, looking for you. She got so excited when we talked to you through the pathfinder. Just the sound of your voice excited her! The last few days, since we have bee talking a lot, Molly has been extremely restless. She has been waiting by the door for about a week now." She looked down at the loyal dog that was happy to have her owner back. "When Starfleet had decided that there was no way that Voyager could have survived the anomaly in the Badlands, Mark thought you had been killed so he returned Molly to me. He thought it would be a way for me to keep your memory with me. I was happy to have her, since the house had been so quiet, and she has been great company but she has always been your dog. I can see that now! She sure is happy to have you home!"  
  
Eventually, Molly let her get up and lead Chakotay in the house. Kathryn entered the house, and waited quietly as Chakotay came through the door. "This is my house, Chakotay. I grew up here, and it is a part of me." Her voice tapered off as she walked into the family room. She was surprised to see that nothing had changed much in the years she was gone. There were a few more pictures on the mantle, mostly of Pheobe and her family. There was also a portrait of her now hanging above the fireplace. She pointed to it, "When did you have this done, Mom?"  
  
Her mother laughed. "It was a surprise for you. I had it commissioned when you left for your first command trip on Voyager. It was your most recent Starfleet picture, and I wanted it to be a surprise when you came home for your first shore leave. I just never realized it would be so long in coming." Gretchen laughed again, but her face looked sad.  
  
Kathryn then walked into the kitchen. There was a fresh pot of coffee brewing, and three mugs sitting out. She turned and looked at her mother, "Oh, Mom, you remembered!" She sped to the coffee machine and filled a mug with fresh, hot coffee. After she had taken and savored her first delicious sip, she offered a cup to Chakotay. "This is so much better than Starfleet coffee!" She poured his cup and handed it to him.  
  
When Chakotay reached out for his mug of coffee, his hand met hers. He stared at their hands for what seemed like a lifetime, but in truth were nanoseconds. He then looked up from their hands into her blue eyes, and smiled at her. She surrendered the mug, and poured another for her mother.  
  
"Mom, this is the best coffee I've had in 7 years!" she said. "I have been waiting for so long for a good cup of coffee and with such good company, what could be better?" she smiled. They all walked into the family room and sat down, drinking their coffee.  
  
Chakotay followed them into the family room and sat down. He listened and took sips of his coffee which, he had to admit, was the best cup of coffee he had tasted since leaving home.  
  
After they spent the afternoon talking, Kathryn yawned. She decided to take a nap, then promised to take Chakotay for a tour of the yard.  
  
Chakotay helped Kathryn get their bags from the car and carried them upstairs to the bedrooms. Kathryn was to sleep in her old room, and he had the guestroom. He spent the time she was napping unpacking and talking with her mother. Gretchen shared stories of Kathryn's childhood experiences with him, many of which she would not have told with Kathryn around!  
  
*Please read & review! 


	9. Splashed

Disclaimer: Star Trek and its world, characters and ideas all belong to Paramount. The story belongs to me.  
  
Thanks to Cat C for her friendship and editing abilities.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
When Kathryn had woken up from her nap, she changed her clothes and now was wearing sneakers, an old pair of blue jeans, a cotton T-shirt and her hair was up in a ponytail. She found Chakotay and her mother in the living room, laughing. She was embarrassed to find that they had been talking about her the whole time. She knew that her mother had many embarrassing stories to share about her, including the original 'Dying Swan' dance. She rolled her eyes, "Alright, Chakotay, that is enough of that. I never said my childhood stories were part of this package!" And she playfully glared at her mother. She turned back to him and said, "I promised you a tour of the farm, are you ready?" When he agreed, she took him outside to the yard.  
  
As they stepped from the kitchen door to the back yard, Chakotay stared in wonder. His family had been farmers, but their farms were not as large as this. This farm had rows upon rows of corn, farm animals of every kind and even a pond. "This place is beautiful, Kathryn. I can see why you missed it so much." was all he managed to say.  
  
Kathryn looked back at him with a broad smile and a twinkle in her blue eyes. "I know. Of course, I always revert to acting like a child when I get home. Would you like to play hide and seek in the rows of corn? It's fun! My sister and I used to play it a lot." As she said this, she ran into the cornfields.  
  
Chakotay watched her run off in a stunned silence. When he realized she wasn't coming back, he walked into the field. He listened for her footsteps and the rustling of the corn and followed her. Once, as he was running between the rows of corn, he was startled when he found a chicken in his path. It was all he could do to jump over it, as he was running and was just about to step in that spot. He tripped, the chicken squawked, and he heard laughing from somewhere in the field in front of him.  
  
"Watch out for the chickens, Chakotay!" She yelled, and ran off.  
  
He laughed, stroked the now upset chicken, and went back to his pursuit. He was able to get an idea where she was, at least, from her yelling. He figured she was heading for the far end of the field, so angled towards the far side. He was now running, and saw the end of the field. He also heard laughing off to his right, and smiled.  
  
Kathryn was straddling a tree limb in a large oak tree just outside of the cornfield. She looked down as Chakotay came out of the field and watched him look all around with a confused look on his face. She tried her hardest not to laugh, watching him search for her, but couldn't hold it in.  
  
She started to laugh again and this time he heard it from above him. He looked up and saw her smiling face and her shoes so close that he could reach up and touch them. He laughed too. He thought, She looks so relaxed here, I wish we would have made it home sooner! He stood there, laughing and looking up at her. "Come on down from there, Captain. A good First Officer makes sure to keep his Captain safe." He said, half-serious. He had never seen her climb a tree before and was afraid she would fall out.  
  
Kathryn saw the concern in his face, and gave in. "Alright, worry-wort!" she teased him. She leaned forward on the tree limb until she was lying down, got both legs together, then turned to swing her legs down. She held onto the tree limb and swung herself down, and Chakotay caught her. She looked up into his eyes as she realized she was in his arms. "I can get down from a tree myself, Commander." She said, with a grin.  
  
"I see that now, but I wanted to make sure you were safe. It's my job" was his answer as he held her. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, blue eyes meeting brown, then she blushed. She squirmed to get down, so he set her down on the ground, gently.  
  
She feigned wiping her pants off to let her face stop blushing. "Well, now you see how I used to trick my sister! I was able to keep from laughing with her though. I let her wander away before I got down." She laughed. She turned back to him and saw him smiling widely at her, dimples in full force. "What?" she asked. "What are you smiling about?"  
  
Chakotay was smiling at her. He was so happy to see her relaxed that he was grinning from ear to ear. "You." He answered. "I'm smiling at you. You are so relaxed here! I never thought I'd see you so happy! It makes me glad I came to visit your farm."  
  
She shook her head, smiling. "Ok, on with the tour!" She grabbed his hand and started running towards the pond.  
  
When she grabbed his hand and started running, he had to run to keep up with her. He imagined that she and her sister used to run this way as children. He saw that they were heading towards the pond.  
  
"So, are you ready to get wet?" she asked mischievously. She looked back at him and dropped his hand.  
  
"I do not have a swimsuit on." was his reluctant answer.  
  
"Doesn't matter!" she laughed while running for the closest tree. There was a rope swing hanging from one of the thicker limbs of the tree. She ran up to it, grabbed it, and swung a few times before jumping into the pond. The pond was fairly deep in the center where she landed. "Come on, Chakotay, try it! It's fun!"  
  
He watched her, shook his head and caught the now empty swing as it swung towards him. He had no idea why he was doing something so crazy, but he was bound and determined to follow his Captain. As he was swinging, he heard her yell at him, "Aim for the center, Chakotay. It's deepest at the center!" As he watched her, he saw her move away from the center of the pond to where it was shallower and watch him. He swung forward, let go of the rope swing and landed in the middle of the pond. The resulting splash thoroughly soaked her.  
  
She moved over to where he landed and was dripping and laughing, as he surfaced. "That was fun!" She splashed him. "That was for splashing me as you jumped in.  
  
He looked at her wide-eyed; did she just splash him? He wasn't going to let her get away with that! He splashed her back. That led to an all-out splash war between the two of them, both laughing the whole time. He was laughing so hard he was sputtering as the water cascaded down his face. She was splashing furiously at him, without letting up so he took his only recourse. He grabbed her around her middle so that her arms were pinned to her sides. This was to keep her from splashing him. He looked up at her, saw that her face was dripping wet too, and started to laugh again, but didn't let go of her.  
  
She looked down at him, startled to see he had pinned her arms. She laughed, "So, now what? You know I'm just going to splash you again when you let go of me!" She waggled her eyebrows.  
  
Chakotay grinned up at her; "Not if I do this!" he laughed. He picked her up and carried her out of the pond. Since it was hard to carry her through the water, especially since she was kicking and laughing so much, that he flopped her on the ground as soon as they left the water. He fell; exhausted, on to the ground next to her.  
  
Kathryn laughed the whole time he was carrying her. When he dropped her onto the ground, she was laughing hysterically. As he fell to the ground beside her, she looked over at him laughing; "I haven't had that much fun in a long time, Chakotay. Thank you!" and she lay back on the grass.  
  
He rolled over to his side and took her hand, "That's quite alright, Kathryn. I haven't had this much fun in a long time either!" He rolled over to his back, still holding her hand, and looked up at the clouds. He stared at them a while and said, "Hey, that cloud looks like a Ferengi!" while pointing with his unoccupied hand.  
  
Kathryn noticed that he had not let go of her hand, but didn't say anything. She held his hand as well. It felt comfortable to be holding on to him. She had been thinking a lot the past few days about the fact that they, more than likely, wouldn't see each other much now that they had reached Earth. She knew they would see each other at the debriefings and the ensuing trials, but they would not be as happy and comfortable as they were here. She did not like the thought of not having him around. She let down her guard enough to accept holding his hand. She followed where his hand was pointing and laughed. Indeed, the cloud did have the odd shape of a Ferengi head. They laughed and spent another hour lying in the sun pointing out clouds with familiar shapes, holding hands the whole time.  
  
The fact that Kathryn did not object holding hands was not lost on Chakotay. He enjoyed himself immensely for the next hour. He realized that she was starting to break out of her command mode. He knew it would take a while, but was happy to go slowly if it meant having her in his life, and he was determined to do that. She was the only woman he had ever really loved. There had been lovers but none that he had held any true feelings, he knew that now. If love was laying soaking wet in the grass, holding hands and looking up at clouds, he was deep in it.  
  
After an hour, Molly found them and pounced on Kathryn. She wanted to play, so Kathryn found a stick and threw it in the pond for her to chase. That was one of Molly's favorite games. Molly kept bringing the stick back to her and to Chakotay a few times. Neither of them let go of each other's hand to throw the stick.  
  
When Molly was exhausted, they continued the tour of the farm, ending up at the barn. Kathryn found the cow and saw that she needed to be milked. "Have you ever milked a cow, Chakotay?" she asked.  
  
He looked at her to see if she was serious, realized she was and laughed. "No. I helped my father plant the corn, but never took care of the animals. Are you really going to milk her?"  
  
Kathryn chuckled. "This was my job as a girl. I took care of the animals. Phoebe took care of the crops. We hired people for planting and the harvest, but took care of this place by ourselves most of the time." She brought the stool and the bucket over from the shed and set them down. She led the cow into the main room of the barn and tied her harness to the wooden post. She sat down on the stool next to the cow and began milking her.  
  
Chakotay watched her milk the cow for a few minutes. He grinned, "So you really do know how to milk a cow! That doesn't look too hard. Let me try."  
  
She looked up at him, "This isn't as easy as it looks, let me know if you need help." She got up from the stool and watched him sit down.  
  
He sat on the stool, looked at the udder and placed his hands each on one of the teats. He squeezed it but nothing happened.  
  
Kathryn chuckled. "No, that's not how you do it. You do it like this." She leaned over him, placed her hands over his hands and began to milk the cow. After a few minutes, she looked down at him. She then realized that he was not paying a bit of attention to what his hands were doing.  
  
He was sitting with his eyes closed, reveling at her touch. Knowing that if he looked up, he would see her face just above him, and it would be too tempting to kiss her. He felt the warmth of her hands over his, kneading the teats of the cow. Being a man, he envisioned himself doing the same to her. He looked up at her, seeing that her eyes were also closed and that her nipples were erect, he wondered if she was thinking of the same thing. He studied her face, and saw her turn to look down at him. He thought he saw the same look in her eyes that he had in his, but dismissed it. He knew she wasn't ready for that, yet. He grinned up at her, "Well, this doesn't seem so difficult."  
  
She pulled her hands away from his and cleared her throat. "I figured it'd be easy to teach you." She murmured. "You've always been good with your hands. I still remember the massage you gave me on New Earth. Every time I get a stress headache, I remember that massage and I feel better." As she said this, she sat on the floor next to him. She looked at the cow. "Well, I need to finish her off so she can go back to the field." She waited for Chakotay to get off of the stool, and she sat down, milking the cow.  
  
He looked over at her, watched her milking the cow, and stood behind her. She liked my massage? He placed his hands on her neck and began to knead her shoulder muscles. His hands made their way across her shoulders, down her back, back up to her neck and back to her shoulders again. As he worked her shoulders, his hands began to knead the front of her shoulder muscles, down to her collarbones. The two of them, with eyes closed, continued until the cow was completely milked. If the cow had any more milk in her, he would have worked his way south.  
  
Kathryn looked back at Chakotay, "Excuse me, Chakotay, I need to get this milk into the pasteurizer." She stood, picked up the bucket and walked over to the machine. She poured the milk in and turned it on. "That should be ready fairly soon. We really do have more modernized ways of milking the cows, we hook them up to milking machines that do all of the work, including pasteurizing. I just wanted to show you how it worked." She said, grinning. "Thanks for the massage. It felt wonderful."  
  
Just then, she heard her mother ring the dinner bell. "We had better head in, it sounds like Mom has lunch ready." She flashed him a grin, took his hand and they walked to the house.  
  
"I'd like to see the machines that milk the cows too. That sounds interesting, but not as much fun!" he teased. They walked slowly to the house, talking about what they had seen and what they had not seen. "I'd love to see the horses after lunch, if we can."  
  
Kathryn grinned at him, "That was my plan. Can you ride horses? It would be a faster way to see the property."  
  
He nodded. "It's been a long time, but I think I can remember how to ride." He laughed, "I hope I don't get saddle sore!"  
  
She grinned, "Ok, we'll do that after lunch. Come on; let's go eat. I'm starved!" She pulled him the rest of the way to the house.  
  
* Please read & review. Thanks! : ) 


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